Florida Grand Opera Appoints Amy Funk as Director of Development

MIAMI – December 19, 2012 –
Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is pleased to announce the appointment of a
new Director of Development, Amy Funk, effective Jan. 7, 2013. She will work
closely with FGO’s General Director and CEO, Susan T. Danis, a former
colleague, in mapping out the fundraising program as the company approaches its
73rd anniversary.

“I
am very excited to work with Amy again, this time as part of the Florida Grand
Opera family,” said Danis. “She is an engaging and results-driven professional
with a gift for cultivating relationships, and her expertise will be a great
addition to our Development team.”

Most
recently, Funk served as the Senior Associate Director of Annual Giving for the
YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, where she started the initial rollout of a $4
million capital campaign, engaging board members and executive directors across
seven YMCA centers to expand local board membership and giving. She was also
fundamental in securing a $1 million gift for the YMCA and helped oversee a $12
million capital campaign at Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter
while running their annual giving program.

Funk
began her nonprofit career working side by side with Danis in 2006, serving as
Campaign Manager for the public phase of Sarasota Opera’s $20 million capital
campaign. Prior to entering the nonprofit field, she made strides in the
corporate sector with companies such as MBNA America and GE Capital.

Funk
has a Bachelor of Arts in history from Millikin University and earned a
master’s degree in non-profit management, with distinction, from DePaul
University in June 2012. Funk is currently in the process of moving to Miami
with her husband, Andrew Funk, an established operatic bass, and their
seven-year-old daughter.

About Florida
Grand Opera

Florida Grand Opera (FGO),
the oldest performing arts organizations in Florida, celebrates its 72nd
year of continuously producing grand opera during the 2012-2013 season, which
features: Puccini’s La bohème, Nov. 17 through Dec. 8; Mozart’s The
Magic Flute, Jan. 29 through Feb. 23; Bellini’s La sonnambula, Feb.
9 through Feb. 17; and Verdi’s La traviata, Apr. 20 through May 5.
Subscriptions for all four operas of the season start at $36 and single tickets
start as low as $11. Tickets may be purchased by phone at (800) 741-1010 or
online at www.FGO.org.

Founded in 1941 as Greater
Miami Opera and later merging with The Opera Guild Inc. in 1994, FGO presents a
mixture of standard repertoire and contemporary works as well as commissions
new productions – all featuring projected translations in English and Spanish.
FGO, recognized for funding by the State of Florida, Department of State,
Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National
Endowment for the Arts. Funding is also provided, in part, by the Broward
County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural
Council and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, the
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs Council, the
Mayor and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners and the
Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council. Program support is provided by
the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.
Florida Grand Opera is a Resident Company of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the
Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and a member company of OPERA America.
American Airlines is the Official Airline, Intercontinental Miami is the
Official Hotel and Steinway & Sons is the Official Piano of Florida Grand
Opera.